Rose had been in panic mode all day since receiving the summons. To stop her pacing, as she was supposed to be resting (doctor’s orders), Jackie sat her down at the table with the journal she’d started keeping when they first learned of her pregnancy. She’d started recording everything she’d done with the Doctor in case she forgot an adventure. Lately, it had become a depository for the memories that the pregnancy was bringing up, the ones that weren’t Rose’s to begin with.

When she’d stop writing, Jackie would prompt her, hoping to keep her daughter’s mind off her fear for a moment.

“What about that time you had to hop?”

The corners of Rose’s mouth turned up into a sad smile at the thought. It had been a story they had had so much fun sharing on a visit home.

“Actually, it wasn’t the only time. The second...”

Rose’s lip trembled and the tears came pouring back down. Perhaps that wasn’t as happy a memory as Jackie had been led to believe. It had been a funny story at the time, but perhaps they’d skipped over a few parts in the telling.

“The second time I was already pregnant, and we didn’t even know,” she cried. “We didn’t even know.”

Jackie pulled her daughter close, shushing her gently, rocking back and forth as she sobbed in her arms.

“We didn’t even know.”

They just had to bide their time a bit longer and the Doctor would eventually find his way back. Just a little longer now, and he would be back.